Oud Oil Reviews - MAIN THREAD

PEARL

Well-Known Member
Agarwood Assam~Kanglei there is something that Zakir at Agarwood Assam stated about this agarwood oil, that I can not agree with.

"KANGLEI is a beast which will eat HASTAKSHAR KALAKASSI with no remorse! no burrp!"​

I'm a huge fan of Hastakshar Kalakassi, and while it and Kanglei do have the punchy characteristics that we love in Hindi oils, on my barn-o-meter neither oil is overtly barny but rather the barn in both is well integrated into the overall scent spectrum; but frankly, Kanglei is much too smooth to "eat" HK. So Zak, if you mean that Kanglei tops HK in ferocity, I can't agree. If you mean that Kanglei "eats" HK by walking right up and sweeping his fair lady off of her feet, then yes I agree. And it does so with the panache of Rostand's Cyrano de Bergerac, and the charismatic charm of famous lovers like Pearl, Casanova, Don Juan and Lord Byron.
Kanglei starts with velvety, sueded tones of cocoa, hay and the nutty sweetness of lightly roasted Jamaican Blue Mountain arabica coffee bean. Kanglei is a medium brown hued, viscous oil that leaves a non-sticky, non-greasy sheen on the application site. I don't know when it was distilled but it's more refined and seems more aged than HK, lacking any still notes that I can detect. As Kanglei progresses it takes on notes of tobacco leaf and the rounded, spicy aromatics of crushed green cardamom provide a subtle hint of fruitiness. It has slightly above average projection, excellent longevity and is another solid, perennial Hindi entry from Agarwood Assam, kudos Zakir!!!
 

kesiro

Well-Known Member
@PEARL You are spot on sensei. Kanglei is a smoooooooooth boy. Rico Suave in Hindi form. Velvety was the first word that came to my mind at initial application. It does have a hint of the HK zing buried in there but you have to really look for it hard. Different beast all together though. Now the new Kalakassi, that's another story....
 

Nikhil S

Well-Known Member
@PEARL Superb review sir. Love it. Sadly I could never try Hastakshar. I am loving his Arem Sung so much. Intense oil. Did you happen to try that one ? Would love to hear about it from you esp the dry down which kicks in quite late. Cheers
 

Nikhil S

Well-Known Member
@Nikhil S I haven't tried Zakir's Arem Sung, but it and his Kalakassi Aagaz come highly endorsed by @kesiro, and that says a lot; he did mention that Arem Sung was a powerful and full bodied oil.
Powerful and full bodied. Great description by brother Kesiro. The drydown has a special Naga surprise. Aaghaaz I need more time with it :)
 

Tuff

Active Member
Review - Kinamantan from EO:

Since Rasoul loves this so much I thought I could say a little sumtin sumtin. From just the bottle, it reminds me very much of Borneo 5000. The most delicious blue lotus note on the planet mixed with the borneo series wood/scotch pine note. However, unlike Borneo 5000, the blue lotus note exists within the wood/distillation itself, it is not an add on layer. The smell is also twice as strong from the bottle as Borneo 5000. I remember swiping my wife's sister in the Philippines with Borneo 5000, and her response 15 minutes later was, 'It smells like the blessings of the saints'. Kinamantan also reminds me of something you would save for exalting scenarios. If you would like to vibrate on a higher/deeper wavelength, this oil would be a good start.

When you first apply the oil, it goes on kind of mellow. It is not a tiger roar like the smell from the bottle would have you believe. The first notes you get are the lotus notes, very perfumy with a nice wow factor. Even my wife considers this a perfume, not an oud. This makes Kinamantan extra special since both my wife and I can wear it at the same time. Wonder twin powers, activate. The pine forest slowly comes into view around 30 minutes later, and within 45 minutes this oil is projecting a good 5-10 feet away, kicking some serious ass. When my wife and I wore it together, we had to roll down the window in the car a little bit, the smell was overpowering and making us dizzy. The lotus is still there, grounding the smell in a female embrace, but the testosterone has become impossible to ignore. Since I don't own any Port Moresby, I can't pick out that note in the smell, so i'll have to take everyones word on that one. It was mentioned in the Port Moresby description that wearing it is like being high while being sober. I can concur that Kinamantan had the same effect. I chose my work Christmas party as the debut for when my wife and I would both wear it, and I guarantee others noticed but never commented. It makes you feel rich, no matter if you wear jeans or slacks. When worn in conjunction with your wife at the same time, you both go through a sort of vulcan mind meld, and I had flashbacks on Ecstasy experiences I had when young - the same sort of frank conversations, the same sort of egolessness, and the same sort of strong sexual connections.

Is it a Chateau Lafite? Maybe not, I'll have to get some Moresby to confirm some day. Is it an Opus One? Most assuredly. It is more like a David Bruce Pinot Noir Estate 2007 (I have the pleasure of living 5 miles from this amazing vintner), it is a treasure that not many know about, but those that know, know it blows the over hyped Opus One out of the water.
 

Rasoul S

Well-Known Member
Review - Kinamantan from EO:

Since Rasoul loves this so much I thought I could say a little sumtin sumtin. From just the bottle, it reminds me very much of Borneo 5000. The most delicious blue lotus note on the planet mixed with the borneo series wood/scotch pine note. However, unlike Borneo 5000, the blue lotus note exists within the wood/distillation itself, it is not an add on layer. The smell is also twice as strong from the bottle as Borneo 5000. I remember swiping my wife's sister in the Philippines with Borneo 5000, and her response 15 minutes later was, 'It smells like the blessings of the saints'. Kinamantan also reminds me of something you would save for exalting scenarios. If you would like to vibrate on a higher/deeper wavelength, this oil would be a good start.

When you first apply the oil, it goes on kind of mellow. It is not a tiger roar like the smell from the bottle would have you believe. The first notes you get are the lotus notes, very perfumy with a nice wow factor. Even my wife considers this a perfume, not an oud. This makes Kinamantan extra special since both my wife and I can wear it at the same time. Wonder twin powers, activate. The pine forest slowly comes into view around 30 minutes later, and within 45 minutes this oil is projecting a good 5-10 feet away, kicking some serious ass. When my wife and I wore it together, we had to roll down the window in the car a little bit, the smell was overpowering and making us dizzy. The lotus is still there, grounding the smell in a female embrace, but the testosterone has become impossible to ignore. Since I don't own any Port Moresby, I can't pick out that note in the smell, so i'll have to take everyones word on that one. It was mentioned in the Port Moresby description that wearing it is like being high while being sober. I can concur that Kinamantan had the same effect. I chose my work Christmas party as the debut for when my wife and I would both wear it, and I guarantee others noticed but never commented. It makes you feel rich, no matter if you wear jeans or slacks. When worn in conjunction with your wife at the same time, you both go through a sort of vulcan mind meld, and I had flashbacks on Ecstasy experiences I had when young - the same sort of frank conversations, the same sort of egolessness, and the same sort of strong sexual connections.

Is it a Chateau Lafite? Maybe not, I'll have to get some Moresby to confirm some day. Is it an Opus One? Most assuredly. It is more like a David Bruce Pinot Noir Estate 2007 (I have the pleasure of living 5 miles from this amazing vintner), it is a treasure that not many know about, but those that know, know it blows the over hyped Opus One out of the water.
Beautiful. Above highlighted sections particularly spoke to me. Sadly I wasn’t around for borneo 5k.
As for port moresbey, kinamantan is more open knit, more top note celebration, prettier, airier and outward compared to deeper darker more inward port M. Both wonderful and I won’t kick either out of bed but kinamantan speaks to me differently.

As for wine comparison i see kinamantan in language of Cali cab as dunn. howell mountain cool micro climate mid high elevation vineyard. There is charm and approachability as in almost all new world wines but there is regal and serious backbone behind it. Opus is too “made” and “showy”.
 

RobertOne

Well-Known Member
Claypot Trat 2017.

Upon application to four hours later the scent remains constant and expresses powdered lilac, a hint of dried lavender if it were from an 18th century apothecary.

Also present is a phenolic note curiously bound to fermenting fruits.

It reminds me somewhat of EO Oud Yusef but is rougher around the edges with the fruits and flowers less clearly defined. I am tempted to conclude that it could benefit from a few years in the flask, it has potential.
 

RobertOne

Well-Known Member
Oud Thaqueel 2015.

Sniffing the vial there is a hint of barn that almost entirely vanished on contact with my skin.

Initial application is camphorous almost in a EO Tigerwood '95 kind of style but much more rough, raw and unready, however there is no denying it's potency.

On the edges are rose, violets in cream and a distinct Oudy kick.

Five minutes in it has spun around and become a more nuanced, sweeter FO Old School Thai still with the rose and violet backdraft.

<review is being conducted live from 21:05 CET>

Well, my live review style totally failed with me falling asleep next to a restless girl. Pfffft. I will carry on where I left off yesterday, how annoying that life often gets in the way of Oud appreciation.

It gradually evolves into a perfume like concoction, hard to pin down specific notes except woody, phenolic-medicinal and camphorous. This does sound unappealing but if one were to imagine a band aid sent from above then this would be it.
 
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Hello friends. I recently shared this review with another forum, and thought it might be useful/informative to members here who are wondering about Grandawood.

What is it? Wild Oud sampler from Grandawood.com.au Cost: AU$150 for five 0.1 ml sample vials.
Service: Excellent: quick shipping, good packaging. Grandawood's website though, is infuriatingly naggy. They send you emails and messages if you put stuff in your cart and then leave. I recommend signing out or clearing cookies to avoid this. The origins of the oils are not always easy to determine, either.

How did I apply these? 2cm swipe of the sample dipstick onto my clean forearm.

Wild Dark Merauke
Origin: Merauke, presumably
1 minute: medicinal blast of eucalyptus, wintergreen and jungle canopy
3 minutes: the blast has settled into a medium minty freshness (minty like a mint julep, not toothpaste-minty) with a curious and not unpleasant rubber/disinfectant note, like opening up a fresh Band-Aid.
10 minutes: Potting soil plus ozone, like the air when it's going to rain soon. Settling down a little.
40 minutes: Has combined well with my skin scent and is now putting off a flinty, high-pitched mineral/earth note, like clean clay.
80 minutes: Finally safe for company. A lovely leafy green garden aroma.
110 minutes: Greenness is getting a little less lovely and a little more threadbare. To be honest, it isn't my favorite type of smell.
140 minutes: The mentholated opening has returned, with a soft woody backdrop, and continues this way until it fades out completely.

Scasa Saat
Origin: Cambodia
1 minute: Rubber, leather, and bacon. Yes, bacon. There's a powerful smoke hit combined with an unmistakable meaty aspect. Quite intriguing but not really presentable yet.
5 minutes: Still leathery/smoky but the meat has receded (been eaten?)
15 minutes: Barnyard qualities begin to emerge. Manure, hay and grass combine with the pre-existing leather and wood to make a truly pastoral scent. Cat is suddenly very interested in my arm.
50 minutes: A most delightful and unexpected sweetness is peeking out. I can't tell if it's honey, maple, molasses or what, but it's lightening and broadening the entire landscape.
75 minutes: It finally hits me what the sweetness is. About 10 years ago I had the good fortune to smell some fearsomely expensive narcissus absolute, and *this is that scent*: pillowy-soft sweet clean strawlike floral. It's the perfect complement to the barniness. Cat has been locked out of my room because she keeps trying to lick me. Still wouldn't go out in public with this on.
100 minutes: Whoa, who's started smoking vanilla Cavendish pipe tobacco in my house? THIS is the scent I want to wear in public. Still not 100% barn-free but definitely more presentable.
150 minutes: Has softened into a smooth dry benzoin-heavy amber. I confess to a weakness for extravagant perfumery ambers like Parfum d'Empire's Ambre Russe and Lutens' Ambre Sultan. This is not that, but rather a softer, more solemn amber. Not completely stripped of the sweet tobaccoey goodness but any mainstream perfume house would be thrilled to package this aroma as their latest amber scent.
170 minutes: Fade out on soft woody powder.

The Scent of Enlightenment II: Crimson Flower

Origin: unknown
1 minute: LEATHERLEATHERLEATHER with some additional twists of cured and tanned animal hides. ;)
15 minutes: A strong pine/evergreen note emerges, resinous and tarry but quite pleasant. Reminds me of a piñon salve I got in New Mexico... comfortingly incensey.
45 minutes: GRAPES. WTF. Bunches and bunches of succulent sweet purple grapes. Not a winey grape scent either. I have a sudden craving for a PB&J.
75 minutes: Fruitiness has receded to reveal a softly oudy leather/wood note, glazed with a layer of beeswax.
110 minutes: Well hello there, lapsang souchong tea.
140 minutes: Woodsy tea until fade out.

The Forbidden Scent
Origin: Brunei
1 minute: Buckets of barnyard, heavy on the hay and manure.
15 minutes: Manure is receding but this is still uncomfortably high-pitched and immobile.
45 minutes: Like I said, immobile. Has not changed since last sniff. This could be any commercial Oud Du Jour.
80 minutes: Holy smoke! Literally, holy smoke. Astoundingly, after nearly an hour and a half, this stagnant and previously unimpressive oud is pouring forth billows of luscious churchy incense smoke. I cannot say if this replicates actual burning agarwood, having never had the pleasure, but WOW is that an impressive effect. It may disturb those around you, it's that realistic.
120 minutes: Still smokin'. I imagine I can actually see the smoke but realize that is not in fact possible.
140 minutes: The smoke illusion continues and I feel as though I can actually smell ash from the imaginary incense. Vetiver and grassy notes appear and remain until fade-out.

Kalimantan
Origin: Borneo
1 minute: Sandalwood dust. Smells like an old sandalwood fan my mother had. Smooth, cerealy, very pleasant.
10 minutes: Still sandalwood, but the tangy yogurty note of great sandalwood is very faint.
30 minutes: Has not developed significantly, or if I'm to be honest, even moderately. I wonder if this is made with less-infected agarwood? None of the fermentation or animalic notes I've come to associate with the other ouds in this sampler. Still pleasant, but I can't think of a reason to pay big bucks for this over my vintage Caswell-Massey sandalwood EDC or any other good sandalwood.
60 minutes: Yep, sandalwood. Actually this is bizarrely impressive in its monotonous linear longevity. It's kind of boring on its own but if I were blending a natural perfume and had unlimited funds, I might use this to add a consistent sandalwood tone to my scent.
90 minutes: I take back what I said at 60 minutes. This is not kind of boring, this is extremely boring. It's nice but absolutely not worth the money and I'm wondering if it's even real, so unchanging it is.

Which ones would I personally consider FBW? Scasa Saat definitely, Crimson Flower possibly.

That's all folks, hope this was useful. If the community would like I will also review the Cultivated sampler.
 

kesiro

Well-Known Member
Awesome post and a very hearty welcome! I have tried most of the ones you mentioned and actually purchased some in small quantities. The scasa saat is a good oil for sure. For as 'boring' as the Kalimantan is, and I agree with you, it is quite pleasant and has absolutely zero off putting notes. Making is better to me then some oils which may be more complex or exciting but on drydown start acting weird.
I think I got 1gm of it. As of the Scasa Saat. As I have some of the best Filaria oils, the Granda Merauke was not my bag. I did buy a full bottle of the Brunei. I just really like Brunei oud oils and I thought it is pretty good actually. Does have a lot of smoke and it does have more balls then nuance, but again, nothing off putting. I was overall happy with the Grandawood stuff. Sorry to say it is not at the level of Ensar's of Taha's stuff, but in reality, what is?
 
For as 'boring' as the Kalimantan is, and I agree with you, it is quite pleasant and has absolutely zero off putting notes.
Oh, I agree completely. I was just taken aback at how linear it was. It smells very lovely nevertheless.
Sorry to say it is not at the level of Ensar's of Taha's stuff, but in reality, what is?
You ain't kidding. I just got my first Ensar Oud parcel last week and it's probably ruined me for anything else. I'm giddy in love with these oils. I have yet to have the honour of trying Taha's works.
Awesome post and a very hearty welcome!
Thanks, nice to be here. :)
 

RobertOne

Well-Known Member
Hello friends. I recently shared this review with another forum, and thought it might be useful/informative to members here who are wondering about Grandawood.

What is it? Wild Oud sampler from Grandawood.com.au Cost: AU$150 for five 0.1 ml sample vials.
Service: Excellent: quick shipping, good packaging. Grandawood's website though, is infuriatingly naggy. They send you emails and messages if you put stuff in your cart and then leave. I recommend signing out or clearing cookies to avoid this. The origins of the oils are not always easy to determine, either.

How did I apply these? 2cm swipe of the sample dipstick onto my clean forearm.

Wild Dark Merauke
Origin: Merauke, presumably
1 minute: medicinal blast of eucalyptus, wintergreen and jungle canopy
3 minutes: the blast has settled into a medium minty freshness (minty like a mint julep, not toothpaste-minty) with a curious and not unpleasant rubber/disinfectant note, like opening up a fresh Band-Aid.
10 minutes: Potting soil plus ozone, like the air when it's going to rain soon. Settling down a little.
40 minutes: Has combined well with my skin scent and is now putting off a flinty, high-pitched mineral/earth note, like clean clay.
80 minutes: Finally safe for company. A lovely leafy green garden aroma.
110 minutes: Greenness is getting a little less lovely and a little more threadbare. To be honest, it isn't my favorite type of smell.
140 minutes: The mentholated opening has returned, with a soft woody backdrop, and continues this way until it fades out completely.

Scasa Saat
Origin: Cambodia
1 minute: Rubber, leather, and bacon. Yes, bacon. There's a powerful smoke hit combined with an unmistakable meaty aspect. Quite intriguing but not really presentable yet.
5 minutes: Still leathery/smoky but the meat has receded (been eaten?)
15 minutes: Barnyard qualities begin to emerge. Manure, hay and grass combine with the pre-existing leather and wood to make a truly pastoral scent. Cat is suddenly very interested in my arm.
50 minutes: A most delightful and unexpected sweetness is peeking out. I can't tell if it's honey, maple, molasses or what, but it's lightening and broadening the entire landscape.
75 minutes: It finally hits me what the sweetness is. About 10 years ago I had the good fortune to smell some fearsomely expensive narcissus absolute, and *this is that scent*: pillowy-soft sweet clean strawlike floral. It's the perfect complement to the barniness. Cat has been locked out of my room because she keeps trying to lick me. Still wouldn't go out in public with this on.
100 minutes: Whoa, who's started smoking vanilla Cavendish pipe tobacco in my house? THIS is the scent I want to wear in public. Still not 100% barn-free but definitely more presentable.
150 minutes: Has softened into a smooth dry benzoin-heavy amber. I confess to a weakness for extravagant perfumery ambers like Parfum d'Empire's Ambre Russe and Lutens' Ambre Sultan. This is not that, but rather a softer, more solemn amber. Not completely stripped of the sweet tobaccoey goodness but any mainstream perfume house would be thrilled to package this aroma as their latest amber scent.
170 minutes: Fade out on soft woody powder.

The Scent of Enlightenment II: Crimson Flower

Origin: unknown
1 minute: LEATHERLEATHERLEATHER with some additional twists of cured and tanned animal hides. ;)
15 minutes: A strong pine/evergreen note emerges, resinous and tarry but quite pleasant. Reminds me of a piñon salve I got in New Mexico... comfortingly incensey.
45 minutes: GRAPES. WTF. Bunches and bunches of succulent sweet purple grapes. Not a winey grape scent either. I have a sudden craving for a PB&J.
75 minutes: Fruitiness has receded to reveal a softly oudy leather/wood note, glazed with a layer of beeswax.
110 minutes: Well hello there, lapsang souchong tea.
140 minutes: Woodsy tea until fade out.

The Forbidden Scent
Origin: Brunei
1 minute: Buckets of barnyard, heavy on the hay and manure.
15 minutes: Manure is receding but this is still uncomfortably high-pitched and immobile.
45 minutes: Like I said, immobile. Has not changed since last sniff. This could be any commercial Oud Du Jour.
80 minutes: Holy smoke! Literally, holy smoke. Astoundingly, after nearly an hour and a half, this stagnant and previously unimpressive oud is pouring forth billows of luscious churchy incense smoke. I cannot say if this replicates actual burning agarwood, having never had the pleasure, but WOW is that an impressive effect. It may disturb those around you, it's that realistic.
120 minutes: Still smokin'. I imagine I can actually see the smoke but realize that is not in fact possible.
140 minutes: The smoke illusion continues and I feel as though I can actually smell ash from the imaginary incense. Vetiver and grassy notes appear and remain until fade-out.

Kalimantan
Origin: Borneo
1 minute: Sandalwood dust. Smells like an old sandalwood fan my mother had. Smooth, cerealy, very pleasant.
10 minutes: Still sandalwood, but the tangy yogurty note of great sandalwood is very faint.
30 minutes: Has not developed significantly, or if I'm to be honest, even moderately. I wonder if this is made with less-infected agarwood? None of the fermentation or animalic notes I've come to associate with the other ouds in this sampler. Still pleasant, but I can't think of a reason to pay big bucks for this over my vintage Caswell-Massey sandalwood EDC or any other good sandalwood.
60 minutes: Yep, sandalwood. Actually this is bizarrely impressive in its monotonous linear longevity. It's kind of boring on its own but if I were blending a natural perfume and had unlimited funds, I might use this to add a consistent sandalwood tone to my scent.
90 minutes: I take back what I said at 60 minutes. This is not kind of boring, this is extremely boring. It's nice but absolutely not worth the money and I'm wondering if it's even real, so unchanging it is.

Which ones would I personally consider FBW? Scasa Saat definitely, Crimson Flower possibly.

That's all folks, hope this was useful. If the community would like I will also review the Cultivated sampler.
I just now spied your impressive posts, you are certainly welcome to these here parts despite the fact that you are just a poor boy from a poor family. Hopefully Oud will refine you somewhat.

Also, try the sampler from EO, your mind will never be the same after applying one every day.
 

Rasoul S

Well-Known Member
quick impressions of two new ensar oud oils:

people's sultan:
ok. easy there ensar and team. you didnt have to go all the way. few started challenging you and your prices and then you do this? holly crap man. if one thinks JSL or green papua hit above their weight, this one, people's sultan is the strongest quality price ratio oil i have seen to date. period. game over. nothing comes close. i mean kanzen or harita from taha are to be mentioned but neither are below $200 even in 3gram size.

i wont get too much into the scent but here it goes. product description and other's notes already shared on this are bang on. I didn't expect as much vertical complexity but 30 min in and the oil shape shifted to show more papuan green and new guinea gyrinops. even hints of abdus selam incense-y notes are seen. after it settles on the skin, the scent is quite similar to medium to medium+ scent of new guinea signature incense grade chips on an electric heater. i also expected to get an oil with more similarities than differences to both yusuf and JSL, but this couldn't be further from it and i love it for that. the bitterness running thru it is just lovely and something i have only ever seen in much higher priced and higher pedigree oils. is almost aceh/sumatra like bitterness.

this oil will surely make critics swallow their words and be humbled. i don't suspect this is financially feasible and ensar and team like did this as a marketing tool and a PR message. so jump on it and take advantage everyone. now i challenge @Ensar and @Kruger and team to make an oil with profile of guallam or nha trang or malinau oil as the next sultan.:D

khmer xtreme:
objectively speaking yes it is a cross between cambodi (not the fruity or high terpy or the one's that are Vietnamese like) and hindi but due to my aversion to hindi i cant get passed those fermented fruit, leather, tobacco, cacao mass notes. is subtle, is integrated (mostly) and is delicate, but just not for me. for those seeking an oil with assam 05 level of subtlety, this is almost it. certainly more refined than the assam organic in the barn and fermented funk notes. i cant speak to the price or availability since i received this sample as a kind gift.

my 2 cents.
 

PEARL

Well-Known Member
Ensar Oud~Suriranka Senkoh

All I have is my nose. We’ve talked about resin and whether it can be expressed through distillation or only by extraction. Dear @Ensar made the valid statement that it has only been imagined by such things as heating wood and relating that scent to oils. He went further to pose the question, “how can we know what “resinous” smells like if we’ve never encountered raw resin?” I can only state some observations I’ve made with my nose.

GCMS is capable of comparing a test sample against known chemical/compound markings stored in its database; it then qualifies/quantifies found like chemicals and compounds in the test sample. Our olfactory system does a similar task; we can smell Chamkeila and say it has tobacco LIKE notes, only when we have the scent of various tobaccos stored in our scent memory. They both work by comparison.

Resin can be expressed through extraction. I only have experience with two agarwood extracts, IO’s Sinensis and Kyarazen’s KZ85. Those two products have more in common with each other than they do with the majority of agarwood oils with a few exceptions, those being oils like Chamkeila and Lalitya to a degree and the Senkoh oils to a greater extent. They both share a texturally sensational incensey core scent, both are thicker than most oils, similar quality in their viscosity and both long lasting but the scent stays close to the skin. The prominent trait that separates them from most agarwood oils though, is the scent texture and incense core scent.

Suriranka Senkoh opens with the same incense core scent as the extracts. The scent has a textural quality to my nose in much the same way as thick, pebble grained Connolly Hides in a vintage Aston Martin has to my fingertips. It’s a dense, almost fibrous, pulpy scent texture like the non-smoky, cool, condensed first whispers of a gently heated chip. The incense core fragrance lasts throughout the evolution of the oil. As it warms on the skin, the notes many love in Sri Lankan oils emerge; except the Ceylon notes here are cyan hued. The notes are not bright and diffusive like many Sri oils, rather they are heavy, somewhat muted and calming. The progression of the oil has the stillness of a hummingbird in flight as it hovers to use its long bill to coax nectar from a flower. While not a shape shifter or varied note bomb, the complexity is in the overall presentation. The oil has medium, encapsulated bubble projection and above average longevity.

I have no idea what distillation process was used to express such a scent. I also have no idea if resin is responsible for the scent texture of the extracts and the Senkoh series oils. I do know though, that they are unique and the comparison is undeniable.

If oils like Oud Nuh, Assam Kinam and Kinam Rouge were to wear oud oils, they’d likely wear oils from the Senkoh Series. Extraordinary oils.